Downtown Art Center Presents -Hana No eau: New Takes on Traditional Hawaiian Media & Art Is� A Community’s Voice at The Capitol

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First Friday Hawaii
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Downtown Art Center Presents -Hana No eau: New Takes on Traditional Hawaiian Media & Art Is� A Community’s Voice at The Capitol
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Date: Friday - 6/6/2025
Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m
Location:
Downtown Art Center
1040 A Nuuana Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii 96717

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Upcoming Main Gallery Exhibition

Downtown Art Center Presents HANA NOʻEAU: New Takes on Traditional Hawaiian Media, On View June 6–28, 2025

Honolulu (May 2025) – Downtown Art Center, at 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave., is proud to present HANA NOʻEAU: New Takes on Traditional Hawaiian Media, a powerful new exhibition celebrating the enduring strength and evolving expression of Hawaiian cultural media. On view from June 6 to June 28, 2025 in the DAC Main Gallery, this show highlights the work of contemporary Hawaiian visual artists and craftspeople who are reinterpreting traditional art forms through a modern lens.

The exhibition features a wide range of media, including woodcarving, fiber art, weaving, kapa making, and feather lei making. Each piece reflects a deep connection to Hawaiian traditions, while embracing innovation and individual artistic voice. Participating featured artists are: Makana Kane Kuahiwinui, Nanea Lum, Marques Hanalei Marzan, Michael Kalanikini Nahoʻopiʻi, Andre Perez, Enoka O Laʻi Phillips, William "Miki" Cook, and kiʻi carving collective Hui Kalai Kiʻi O Kupaʻaikeʻe.

The exhibition is free and open to the public, on view during regular gallery hours, Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Join us for the Opening Reception on First Friday, June 6, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., to meet the artists and experience their work in person.  For more information on upcoming events and exhibitions at Downtown Art Center, visit downtownarthi.org.

About Downtown Art Center (DAC):
Located in the Chinatown Gateway Plaza building at 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave., Second Floor, the nonprofit Downtown Art Center is an exhibition gallery and educational space for Oʻahu's arts scene. DAC is a thriving center for the arts, providing display space to showcase local artists and art organizations, classrooms for arts instruction, and more. DAC is dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown/Chinatown Honolulu through culture and the arts.
Parking for DAC is located at nearby municipal parking lots (onsite at Chinatown Gateway Plaza, parking entrance off Bethel Street) or at Mark's Garage (entrance at 22 S. Pauahi St.). DAC is easily accessible by public transit as well; get directions, routes and timetables at www.thebus.org.
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Current Classroom Exhibition

Art Is… A Community’s Voice at The Capitol On View in the DAC Classroom, June 2-29, 2025

This series of posters was created in spring 2025 as part of a community-driven project led by the Hawai‘i Arts Alliance in response to a pivotal moment for the arts in Hawai‘i.

As lawmakers prepared to celebrate Art at the Capitol Day, conversations behind the scenes revealed efforts to weaken the Works of Art Special Fund—Hawai‘i’s landmark public funding program that has supported artists, educators, and cultural organizations for decades. In the face of this contradiction, the arts community sought a way to show up with both aloha and conviction. With the help of two remarkable cultural leaders, Maile Meyer and Meleanna Meyer, the Alliance invited the community to gather at Native Books in Chinatown for a sign-making activity. The prompt was simple yet powerful: “Art is…” From there, community members filled thought bubbles with their own expressions—“Art is resistance,” “Art is freedom,” “Art is essential. Keep it funded!”

The resulting posters were carried to the Hawai‘i State Capitol for Art at the Capitol Day on Friday, April 11, 2025—a peaceful but powerful demonstration of unity, purpose, and love for the arts. This moment allowed artists, educators, and advocates to come together in creative resistance, reminding decision-makers why the arts matter so deeply to our communities.

Now on display, these posters reflect the diverse and heartfelt perspectives of Hawai‘i’s people. They are a visual affirmation of what we stand to lose—and why we must continue to stand together.
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About the Downtown Art Center (DAC):
Located in the Chinatown Gateway Plaza building at 1041 Nuʻuanu Ave., Second Floor, the nonprofit Downtown Art Center is an evolving gallery and workshop space for Oʻahu's arts scene. DAC strives to become a thriving center for the arts by providing display space for local artists and art organizations, workshop classrooms, performances, and more. Support DAC and help it grow at donorbox.org/downtownartcenter!

Parking for DAC is located at nearby municipal parking lots (onsite at Chinatown Gateway Plaza, parking entrance off Bethel Street) or at Mark's Garage (entrance at 22 S. Pauahi St.). DAC is easily accessible by public transit as well; get directions, routes and timetables at www.thebus.org.
 

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First Friday Hawaii Event Calendar Item

Downtown Art Center Presents -Hana No eau: New Takes on Traditional Hawaiian Media & Art Is� A Community’s Voice at The Capitol

First Friday Hawaii
Event Calendar Item